Wear Your Sin Like A Prize
by SoulSoother59
Summary: Marina is the head Neonatologist at Beaumont Hospital in Dublin. Stephen is a WWE Superstar but also Marina's childhood bully. When they bump into each other, years after Marina's torment at his hands, Stephen is a changed man who wants to make amends. Marina isn't all that convinced of his intentions, and yet, she can't seem to fight the sudden attraction to him that she feels.


_**A/N:**_ Hey all! This is my new one-shot. I would like to say it was inspired by **'Crazy For You'** by **xLou26**. If you haven't read this story, it is brilliant and you should head on over and read it. Her portrayal of Sheamus finally inspired me to write something about the sexy Irishman and I'll be glad if it turns out even half as good as hers! Enjoy XxX

_**Disclaimer:**_ I own Marina and all the other original characters. I do not own anything affiliated with the _WWE_ and that sadly includes Stephen Farrelly who as much as it kills me to say, owns himself. I do not maintain to have the knowledge of any of the Wrestler's personal lives and anything used in this story is for a fictional purpose and not intended to offend anyone! Thanks!

_**ONE-SHOT**_

I'd been at work for almost 24 hours straight when my beeper buzzed in my pocket. As the head Neonatologist at Beaumont Hospital in Dublin, I was constantly on call in case anything went wrong with any of my patients.

I was a devout believer in investing all my energy into my patients and making what could be the most difficult times of their lives, as easy as possible.

Being a Neonatologist, I tended to take a lot of my work home with me. Having a strong will power was necessary because in the end as much as it hurts, you can't save every baby. Keeping a level of professionalism was something that I tried to do but in most cases I found it extremely difficult.

It was my job to take care of mothers-to-be who were suffering early labour and at the potential risk of losing their babies. I was also responsible for the after-care of said babies and helping them progress on to having healthy lives.

Jumping up from my seat, I rushed out of the canteen and jabbed at the button for the elevator. My current patient, was experiencing contractions at 29 weeks along and we'd already tried to stop the labour but with no success we were at our wits end.

I jabbed the button again and hopped in when it arrived, travelling up the 6 floors to the Neonatology clinic. The ward was bustling with nurses and doctors hurrying across the floor. I could hear the alarm bleeping from Diane McGreggor's room from the bank of elevators.

I rushed across the corridor and around the desk, smiling slightly when Mhairi fell into step with me and we hurriedly made our way towards the room.

"Have the contractions started again?" I asked her, a wave of calmness washing over me as I prepared to confront the parents.

"Yes, her body is rejecting the meds. She's only 6 minutes apart Marina" Mhairi spoke quickly and I could hear the panic in her voice "And she's bleeding" she added at the end. I sighed frustratedly, wondering in my mind why these things happened to good people.

I took a deep breath before walking into the room, my black suede _Christian Louboutin_ high heels clicking off of the floor and my white coat flowing behind me. Diane McGreggor was sitting up in bed, a look of sheer panic written all over her face.

I walked over and took her wrist, testing her pulse. She looked at me imploringly.

"Take deep breaths, Sweetheart" I encouraged her "You panicking is not good for 'baby'" I told her. Her pulse was beating quickly and I guessed her heart would be thrumming prominently in her chest "We need to get you to calm down.".

"I'm scared" she muttered, he cheeks stained with tears "I can't lose her. Not again".

Diane McGreggor and her husband Patrick had lost three babies in two years already, all around the 15 week mark. The fact that she had made it as far as 29 weeks was a miracle. We couldn't find anything distinctly wrong with her, it just seemed that she was finding it difficult to carry a child to term.

She looked at her husband for guidance who was squeezing her other hand tightly, sweat dripping from his forehead.

"Okay, we've tried to stop your labour as you know but it seems your body has rejected the drugs" I looked at the couple, stringing my sentences together carefully "Diane?" I called to get her attention "We need to deliver".

She flopped her head back down on the bed, sobbing and muttering unintelligable words.

"It's okay baby" her husband cooed to her.

"Darling, to prolong this stress on 'baby' we might lose her. We need to get you down to delivery for a cesearean and get her out. We'll get her on some steroids because her little lungs won't be strong enough yet and we'll prep an incubator for her. We have to get her out" I stessed.

I looked between the torn faces of the couple who were sobbing and holding onto one another. Another contraction wracked Diane's body and she sat up, gripping her husband's hand. She gripped mine and nodded her head frantically.

"Okay, please, please just save my baby".

"We'll do our best Sweetheart. We'll get you prepped for surgery" I smiled sympathetically and gave her hand one last squeeze before leaving the room with Mhairi. She walked with me, taking notes as I instructed her on what to do and then I stood by the reception desk and took a breath of the cool air.

With a sigh, I picked up the phone and called up to our Director of Hospital Management, Shelley Tomlinson.

"Hello?" she asked.

"It's Marina, Diane McGreggor is in labour. I've ordered her down to surgery for a cesearean" I told her. I heard her sigh from down the line.

It seemed we had landed lucky when Shelley took over hospital management 2 years ago. She was kind, sweet and always made the patients feel comfortable whilst making sure we met our targets and deadlines.

She got involved with the patients and always made sure they were getting the best care possible.

"How is she?" came her voice.

"Panicking. I've tried to calm her down, the stress won't be helping the baby. We're sending her down now. She's in the best hands now, Kian's on duty today".

"Good, keep me posted on how she is".

"I will".

She hung up the phone and I sighed, rubbing my forehead with one of my hands.

"She'll be okay babe" Mhairi told me as she walked around to the other side of the desk.

Mhairi was one of my best friends, which was saying something considering we'd hated one another in school. We'd grown up in the same area and with my brains and thirst for knowledge, I was branded a geek in school, which didn't really sit well with Mhairi and her gang of popular students.

We'd met again when I took a job as assistant Neonatologist at the hosiptal and she was Head Nurse in the department. At first sight, we'd narrowed our eyes at one another but agreed to let bygones be bygones for the sake of our jobs.

It was only when I had to comfort a patient who had had to deliver her baby after the umbilical cord had wrapped around the boy's neck and he'd choked in the womb at 36 weeks, that we'd grown closer. I'd broken down in the canteen, in a fit of tears and anger, and Mhairi had found me and comforted me, telling me it was all part of the job and we just had to pull ourselves together. She cried with me as she told me this and the two of us have never had a fight since.

"I hope she will be. I don't think she'll handle losing another baby".

"No, I don't think she will" she mused while signing off some charts "She's not exactly had the best time. Why don't you go down and see how Conor and Ciaran McCourt are doing. Kathy told me they're coming on great but the parents have been asking about you".

"Mmmm..yeah I think I will. Buzz me when Diane is out of surgery".

"Will do babe" she told me and I walked down the corridor in the opposite direction of the elevators, making my way to the neonatal ICU. I gazed through the window at the all babies in the incubators and found myself smiling, seeing that they were all doing so well.

I knocked on the window when I spotted Maire and Quinn McCourt, holding their twin boys with huge grins on their faces. They waved at me and Maire encouraged me in. I walked over to the entrance and stepped inside. I scrubbed in and then put on protective gloves, an apron and a cover for my hair.

* * *

I cooed over their babies for about an hour and spoke to them about how the boys were doing. Kathy came over and let me know that the boys would be going home in about 3 weeks. My beeper buzzed and I handed Conor, whom I had been holding, back to Quinn and said goodbye to them.

Heading back up to the patient rooms, I greeted Mhairi when I got up there.

"She's resting in her room. They've set up an incubator for Catriona" she told me with a smile "She's as healthy as she can be" Mhairi patted my hand "Why don't you go and see Patrick and then go home" she warned me "You've been here for 28 hours Marina, I've been counting, you were here when I left last night and your still here now. Don't try and fob me off".

I nodded and took off towards the McGreggor's room, greeting Patrick as I poked my head around the door. He stepped out of his sleeping wife's room, hugging me tightly initially before he stepped back, wiping tears from his eyes.

"Thank you for everything Dr Chambers, you've been a lifeline for us".

"It's my job. But Catriona has a long way to go, you can thank me when she's out of the danger zone" I smiled.

"Will she be okay?" he asked me, losing the confidence from his voice.

"I don't know" I answered truthfully "She has a better chance of survival than had she been born before now. Her lungs aren't strong enough for her to breathe on her own and her organs are still all developing to full size. She's got a battle ahead of her but she's come through so much now, she's a little fighter".

"I hope so. I just hope we don't lose her now, I don't think that Di would take it well".

"Let's take it one step at a time. Go and be with your wife. Mhairi will be here until the afternoon. I've got a few days off but I'm on call just in case and I'll pop around tomorrow to see how she's doing" I reassured him "Kian, the doctor who delivered Catriona will be here as well, if you've got any questions".

"Thank you so much" he grasped my hand "Thank you" he re-entered the room and I watched him sit with his sleeping wife. I closed the door and made my way back to the desk, dumping a few charts on the desk.

"Go home" Mhairi told me, taking the charts.

"I'm going" I replied dejectedly. I could feel the tiredness creeping up on me now that things had slowed down "Thanks Mhairi" I told her, hugging her as I took my white coat off and threw it over my arm. I walked down to my small office and hung up my coat, grabbing, my bag and heading out.

Stepping into the elevator, I closed my eyes, wincing as they nipped from tiredness. I sighed and took the elevator down 6 floors to the canteen, intent on getting a good coffee before I left. When I stepped into the canteen, Kylie, shook her head at me.

"Sorry, darling, coffee machine is broke".

"You're kidding right?" I asked with a tilt of my head.

"Do I look like joking?" she asked, her thick Irish brogue rolling through the room in waves "You'll need ta go down to A+E if you want a coffee".

"Cheers! I told her and stormed out, my mood worsening with the realisation that I would have to go to A+E which I hated. _I suppose, I could just head home but...mmmmm...coffee would taste so good right now!_

* * *

I took the stairs and jumped down the last 4 floors to the A+E wing. There was a canteen with a great coffee machine just down the end of the hall. I could smell the coffee from where I was and I hurried down the corridor in my high heels and _Gucci _ivory side wrap shift dress.

Reaching into my bag, I fumbled for my purse, not looking where I was going, resulting in me smacking into what felt like a wall of muscle. The wind was knocked out of me and I stepped back against the wall, coughing and spluttering, cursing under my breath when my bag fell to the floor.

"Sorry Sweetheart" I listened to the man's drawl "I really wasn't watching where I was going". I got my breath back as he bent down to pick up my bag and put my purse and keys back inside it. I looked down at the top of his head, taking in his fiery red hair, spiked up around his head and his very pale skin. He was very tall, even on his knees he reached past my stomach. I shook my head at my stupidity for bumping into someone.

He stood up and I gasped again at his sheer size. He really was** very** tall. Well over 6ft to be exact and he dwarfed what was now my 5ft 7" frame thanks to my 3 1/2 inch heels, he seemed larger-than-life tall to me.

His blue eyes found mine and I felt a wave of recognition and what I guess was fear rock through my body. I bit my lower lip to stop me from snarling at him.

"Stephen!" I forced out through gritted teeth. Stephen Farrelly: my childhood bully.

* * *

_**FLASHBACK**_

_"Look, fellas, it's little Marina Chambers" I heard the drawl and I looked up shyly through my mousy brown hair. I was staring into the intense blue eyes of Stephen Farrelly: a boy who lived on my street and always made a point of making my life living hell._

_"Leave me alone Stephen" I stammered out, wrapping my arms tighter around my books and trying to walk past him and his friends, Mhairi, Damien, Declan, Liam and Georgie. I stepped around him but he moved in front of me, his frame towering over me. I moved the other way and he stepped out again._

_"Why? I'm not doin' anything ta you" he sniggered at me._

_"Please, I just want to go to school" I protested, looking at his chest, fearful of what I would find if I met his eyes._

_"Of course you do" I heard his friends all laugh "Little geeky Marina always wants to be in school"._

_"I...I...I..."_

_"I...I...I..." he mocked me, putting his hand on my shoulder and squeezing tightly "You, you, you what?" he joked, his hand tightening around my shoulder._

_"Why do you always pick on me? I've not done anything to you!" I told him, anger and fear in my veins. He would always get me before I went to school. He would watch me in class and smirk at me, making chills run through me at the thought of what he would do to me._

_"But this is fun? Don't you think it's fun Marina" he sneered at me "We're all friends here" he removed his hand from my shoulder and I winced, knowing he'd left a mark. He grabbed my books and pulled them away from me. He flicked through them and laughed before throwing them to the ground and bringing his foot down on top of them._

_"No! Stephen!" I cried out and frowned when he laughed at me again. His eyes were alight with humour and he looked back at his friends and they were laughing too. I met every one of their eyes and they all snarled at me, making me feel like dirt._

_"Go to school" Stephen snapped at me before pushing me down. I stumbled back and fell into a puddle on the ground, the water soaking through my clothes as I lay there and watched them walk away, talking about and laughing at me. Stephen looked back at me, his eyes meeting mine. I dropped my gaze to the ground, feeling tears coming to my eyes._

_**END FLASHBACK**_

* * *

I'd promised myself that I would never be in that position again. I promised myself I would never let anyone else bully me and I would do something with my life that would help other people. I promised myself I would never be weak again. I promised myself I would never be like Stephen Farrelly.

But now looking at him, he didn't look like Stephen. He was big, there was no denying that. He was tall, and his body was muscled, carved out of pale marble. His hair was still that burning red colour and was spiked around his head and now he wore perfectly groomed facial hair. He wasn't laughing at me or snarling at me. He wasn't pushing me to the ground and he certainly wasn't bullying me.

His eyes were searching my face but all I could think about was how different he looked. That despite how big he was, he looked safe.

I felt a wave of desire roll over my body. _No, surely not. I can not be attracted to him_.

"Little Marina Chambers" he smiled at me and his white teeth glinted in the light of the hospital. Those words brought me tumbling back down to earth with a thump.

Surely I could deal with this. I was a doctor, a Neonatologist, I was not Little Marina Chambers anymore.

I was taller, slimmer and I had curly honey blond hair now. I was dressed in my own clothes; designer clothes, and not tatty hand-me-downs.

I wasn't the girl he had made life a living hell for anymore.

"Stephen" I spoke again but this time all animosity had left my voice "What...what are you doing here?"

"Visiting family" he shrugged, one side of his mouth lifting higher than the other "Me gran's being treated here, she's not doing so well" one of his hands smoothed his facial hair and I imagined it was my own hand.

"Ahhh..okay. Well...I should get going. I suppose it was...nice to see you".

"Wait, what are you doing here?" he put his arm out to stop me and I flinched. He looked at me, a look of concern on his face "I'm not going to hurt ya" he told me.

"That would make a change" I snapped at him. His eyes darkened and he narrowed them at me. I felt my face heat up and I looked away from him.

"Hey, that was a long time ago. I was just a kid, I didn't really know any better".

"Course you did Stephen. You were just a bully" I felt confidence surge through my veins, the thought of making him feel like he was beneath me for once, encouraging me.

He looked around him.

"I don't really think this is the time or place to talk about this. Maybe we should go somewhere more private?" he suggested and I felt myself attempting to say yes. I stopped myself, realising what I was doing. Agreeing to go somewhere with my bully, who could crush me as easy as look at me.

"No! We have nothing to talk about" I stared straight at him "We don't have anything to discuss. What you did back then is in the past and I would rather it stayed that way, so if you'll excuse me, I have somewhere to be" I attemped to move past him but he stood in my way. I clenched my hands in frustration and stepped the other way but he moved there too.

"Don't forget your bag" I looked up at the sound of his kind voice and stared into his eyes. For the first time, they actually had some feeling in them. Sadness? Regret? Whatever is was, it wasn't hate. I took the bag, his knuckles brushing over my skin, making me shiver.

He stepped to the side, pressing his back against the wall and allowed me to pass. I walked down the hall, looking over my shoulder once to see him watching me.

* * *

"Why the hell didn't you tell me Stephen Farrelly was back?" I raged at Mhairi, when I found her in the canteen the next day. I was off-duty but had come by to see how the McGreggor's were.

She looked up at me, an innocent expression on her face, her hand curved around a cup of coffee. I slumped down into the chair, wrapping my long _DKNY_ stone coloured wrap cardigan around my body.

"I...didn't..."

"Do not tell me you didn't know Mhairi" I pointed my finger at her.

"Okay" she held her hands up in surrender "I didn't think you would see him. Where **did** you see him?" she asked.

"I had to go down to A+E yesterday after my shift. The coffee machine broke in here and that's the closest place for a good coffee. I bumped into him in the corridor" I played with the edge of a coaster that was sitting on the table "He was different" I mused.

"Mhmmmm" she took a sip of her coffee "I know. He's been working in America for a few years now. He's grown up".

"Yeah, I saw that" I thought back to how big he was "But he's still Stephen".

"You can't define him through his actions Marina. He's not the same person he was. He was just a kid back then".

"And that makes a difference?"

"Well, yeah it does. You forgave me for my part in what we done. And look at us now" she made a valid point "But you refuse to even think about asking him why he bullied you? Did you ever think that maybe he had a reason?"

"The only reason for bullying is because you're weak".

"There's always another reason" she told me standing up "I've got to get back. The McGreggor's are expecting you. Just think about it babe" she patted my shoulder as she walked out of the canteen.

A half an hour later, I found myself carrying two coffee's down to the SRU: Stroke Rehabilitation Centre. I had enquired about where Annie Farrelly was being treated and what suite she was in.

I walked along the corridor, my _Brian Atwood_ dark grey leather shoes with a chain-embellished heel, click-clacking on the polished floors of the hospital. The cups of coffee were warm in my hands but my body was shivering at the thought of speaking to Stephen again.

I approached the room, my stomach sommersaulting inside. The door was slightly ajar and I could hear the breathing apparatus inside the room. I peaked inside and saw a woman with titian red hair, pulled into a ponytail sitting on a seat, reading a magazine. There was a man with the same fiery red hair as Stephen across the other side of the room, looking out of the window. I knocked on the door with my elbow and they both turned to stare at me.

"Hi" I started nervously "I don't know if you remember me, I...well...I went to school with Stephen" I smiled weakly at them "I was just wondering if he was about?"

"Oh! Well darlin' he's just popped out to get some coffee. But do come in" the woman said to me.

His father, Mark, if I remember rightly, smiled at me and I took a seat on one of the chairs.

"I'm Marina" I told them "I don't know if you remember that we lived on the same street as you" I crossed one leg over the other, bouncing it slightly.

"You're Jimmy Chambers' daughter?" his father asked me and I nodded "How is your Dad?"

"He..he died, two years ago" I confessed "It was just before I took the job here at the hospital".

"You work here?" his mother asked, her face brightening, although I'm not sure if it was just from having someone else to talk to.

"Yeah, I'm the head Neonatologist, on the 10th floor".

"Wow, you must be a smart girl".

I shrugged "I don't know about that".

"I'm sure Stephen will be back shortly. He'll be awful glad you dropped by, he used to talk about you all the time".

My voice caught in my throat when his mum said this. I gulped and squeezed my hands around the coffee, causing it to spill from the cups onto the floor.

"Shit! I am so sorry" I told them, grabbing paper towels and getting down on my knees to clean it up. The warm liquid nipped my hands as I cleaned up the spilled coffee.

"Ma!" I was too distracted by the coffee to recognise the voice "Ma, here's your coffee".

"Oh Stephen, you're back. You've got a visitor Sweetheart" his mother cooed. I froze as she greeted him.

"A visitor?" he asked, confusion spreading through his voice. I popped my head up from the floor and looked over the chair at him. He was dressed in some jeans, leather loafers and a black shirt.

"Hello Stephen" I looked at him.

"Marina" he breathed out my name.

* * *

20 minutes later, I found myself walking away from the hospital, Stephen flagging one side of me. He had his hands shoved into his jean pockets and I walked nervously, slightly ahead of him.

My thoughts were jumbled, but the one I kept coming back to was the words his mother had said to me. _He'll be awful glad you dropped by, he used to talk about you all the time._

What did she mean by that? Surely, he didn't tell them that he used to bully me? Did he just talk about me in general? Or did she mean something else?

"Marina?" his voice pulled me from my thoughts and I realised he had stopped. I turned around to look at him. I curled my arms around myself protectively "Why did you come?"

I shrugged, throwing my arms out to the side "Mhairi told me to".

"Mhairi told you to?" he asked and I nodded "You talk to Mhairi?" he took a step closer to me and I stepped back.

"We're friends. She works with me. She told me to come and talk to you. She told me to ask you why you bullied me?". I moved backwards as I asked him these questions and I sat down on the brick wall that surrounded the grass outside of the hospital.

"I already told you. I didn't know any better" he answered. My head was down and I was staring at my shoes. I clenched my toes inside them and unclenched them, gripping the wall with my hands.

"How could you not know any better? You were old enough to know better? It's not like it was only for a few years Stephen. You bullied me all the way through Gaelscoil".

"I know I did. But I didn't mean what I was saying" I listened to his footsteps as he walked closer to me. He knelt down in front of me and his face came into my view. His fingers touched my face and for the first time, I didn't flinch. His hands were cold on my warm skin and he cupped my chin with his fingers, pulling my gaze to his own "Ya really want to know the real reason why I bullied you?" he asked with a smirk on his face. I nodded "Because I liked ya".

His words threw me for a loop. I blinked at him rapidly as I took in his words.

"You liked me?" I asked and he nodded.

"I fancied you. But you wouldn't even look twice at me. So I bullied you".

"Is this a trick?" I asked him but he shook his head.

"No, it's not a trick. It's the god-honest truth. I was crazy outta my mind for you Marina but I couldn't have you. So I picked on you so that I could be in control, so that I could spend time with ya, so that I could touch ya" his eyes darkened as he said those last 4 words, his tongue darting out to lick his dry lips.

By now, he'd let go of my chin and stepped back from me, standing up to his full height. I wiped my mouth with the back of my hand, trying to wrap my head around what he was saying to me. His words were pushing all my buttons and I clenched my thighs tightly, willing my body to calm down.

"This...this...I...I don't really know what to say to you" I stumbled over my words "Why didn't you just tell me? Did you really think I would have said no?"

"After everything I had done to you, ya would have been silly to say yes" he smiled, a large grin on his face "What would I have said to you?"

"What you just said now!" I protested, standing up and pushing my hands against his chest. I felt his muscles tense beneath my hands and I pushed, barely even moving him "You're such a fucking jerk Stephen. How could you do this to me? What makes you think you can swan back here and throw this shit up in my face? You're unbelieveable" I pushed against him again, with all my might but one look at his face conveyed that he was laughing at me. My feeble strength was doing nothing for me "I hate you" I snapped and stormed away from him.

His hand grasped my arm, his fingers easily wrapping around the span of my wrist. He spun me back towards him, letting go of my hand as his other arm wrapped around my waist, his fingers splaying across the small of my back. His mouth covered mine, muffling any protests I was going to try and make. One of my hands pressed against his face, feeling his smooth facial hair under my fingertips, the other squeezed around the muscle of his bicep. His warm, wet tongue smoothed along the seam of my lips, begging me to part my lips for him. The soft fiery hair on his face, brushed against my cheeks causing me to let out an unintended mewl from the back of my throat as I parted my lips for him. His free hand came up, crossing over mine and cupped my own cheek. His thumb brushed along the apple of my cheek as he slipped his tongue through the small gap of my lips. He pulled me tighter into his hard body, kissing me with abandon and no concern for anyone around us.

I pulled back from him, shrugging him off, lifting my hand to my lips. He stood in front of me, his fingertips lifting away from my cheek and hovering just above my skin. I panted softly, gentle puffs of air hitting his chest.

"You don't hate me" he told me, pushing one of my honey blond curls over the top of my head.

* * *

I was scared. Really scared this time. My stomach swam with nerves and anticipation. My head was drowning with thoughts, fears, questions and worries.

Stephen had asked me to have drinks with him tonight. I'd agreed on one condition, that we talked and only talked. Talked about ourselves. Oh and that I got to chose the location.

Being as terrified as I was, not only from what had happened with Stephen but of what he was making me feel too; he had me wanting to tumble into bed with him, to discover what was underneath that shirt and those jeans and for this reason, I chose a bar that was close to my apartment in the city. It was within walking distance so I could easily escape if I had to.

I chose a black velour _Hervé Léger_ assymetrical one-shouldered bandeau dress with a structured skirt and low curving back, a pair of _Christian Louboutin_ off-white leather studded 4 1/2" peep-toe heels; the trademark red soles adding a touch of colour to my outfit and matching the rouge lipgloss I'd chosen for the night, and a _Lanvin_ off-white satin clutch adorned with raw-trimmed chiffon pom-pom and transparent _Swarovski_ crystals.

I arrived a little later than we agreed, having agonised over what I was going to wear and how I looked. I'd left my curls down over my shoulders; wild and untameable, to give a more casual touch to my outfit. I spotted Stephen sitting towards the back of the large curved glass bar and I made my way over. He was in some smart jeans, a white dress shirt with a black waistcoat over it and an untied black bow-tie hanging around his neck, tucked under the collar of his shirt.

I sat down next to him before he had seen me.

"Excuse me, that seat's..." he trailed off when his eyes fell upon me. He smiled.

"Taken right?" I asked, a small smirk on my face. He nodded before passing me a bunch of flowers wrapped in tissue paper. I looked inside and smiled "Chivalry was never your thing Stephen" I commented as I smelled the daffodils.

"I wasn't..."

"Of course you were" I caught his eye "You didn't choose them randomly. You knew that daffodils meant chivalry".

"Okay, you got me I guess. I just thought the usual roses or carnations were trying too hard. I thought you might like something different" he shrugged with a large cat-got-the-cream grin. I nodded and smelled them again.

"They're beautiful, thank you. I'll get the bartender to put them in some water" I called the bartender over. He smiled at me and leaned over the bar to hug me "Hi Scott, can you stick these in some water for me?" he took them from me with a quick nod of his head. I turned back to see Stephen gnawing on his bottom lip, sending growls to the back of Scott's head.

"Who was that?" he asked "You know him?" his voice angry.

"Oh that's Scott" I remarked loosely and nibbled on some of the nuts that were in the bowls on the bar.

"Yeah, I got that" he looked at me "But who is he?"

"My friend" I smirked watching him "Are you jealous Stephen?" I asked feeling triumphant that I had caught him out.

"No, I'm not jealous" he answered a bit quickly, taking a sip of his drink "Just curious".

"Okay, well I'm sure you won't mind if I tell you that Scott and I dated for 3 years and we were engaged to be married. We were just about to pick out a house, actually, we'd decided to move in together...and I'm just kidding, you can let go of the bar now" I gasped, laughing as his white-knuckle grip on the glass receeded.

"You're lying?" he asked.

"No, not lying. Just exaggerating. We only went on, like, 2 dates or something" I waved my hand through the air "I can't quite remember". He seemed to brighten up at this and he sat up straighter in his seat.

I laughed under my breath.

"Do you want a drink?" he asked, his voice a little deeper than usual. A wave of pleasure rushed through my body and I nodded, crossing one of my legs over the other. I placed my clutch down on the bar and reached for some nuts again, chewing on them nervously "What would you like?" Stephen asked when he'd called another bartender over.

"Can I have a Flirtini with a twist of lime?" I asked the bartender and he nodded and turned to Stephen who looked at me like I had spoke in another language "I'll have a beer" the bartender moved away to get our drinks "What the hell is a Flirtini?" he asked.

I laughed and leaned my elbow on the bar, looking at him "It's vodka, champagne and pineapple juice with a twist of lime".

"Ah, okay" he nodded his head "So...?"

"So, tell me about you? This is what we agreed on"

"What would you like to know?" he asked as our drinks were placed in front of us. I took a sip of my cocktail and swallowed it, licking my lips.

"I hear you've been working in America. What do you do?"

"Have you ever heard of the _WWE_?" he asked and I sucked on my lower lip.

"Professional Wrestling?" I asked and he nodded with a smile "I've seen it from time to time. You're a Wrestler?"

"Yeah, I'm a Wrestler".

"Wow, I guess I know how you got so big now" I took another sip of my drink "Is it something you've always wanted to do?"

"Yeah, I've been interested in it for so long, never thought I'd make it though. So you work at the hospital yeah?"

"Yeah, I'm the head Neonatologist" I told him and he looked slightly confused "I work with premature babies and women who are suffering early labour or potential miscarriages, help them deal with the aftermath of what happens and taking care of the babies".

"That must be a really hard job, I admire you for being able to do that".

"Someone's got to" I mused, my chin sinking into my hand

"I think I kind of always knew you'd do something really good. You were so smart, I really admired that in ya. It may not have looked like that, but I did" he told me, reaching over to take my other hand. I let him lace our fingers together and I looked down at them in my lap. _Why does that feel so good?_

I chewed harder on my lip as Stephen moved his chair closer to me.

"Yeh shouldn't chew on that lip" he told me, his husky voice penetrating my ears as he reached up and pulled my lip out from between my teeth, the pad of his thumb pressing into the soft cushion of my lower lip. I looked at his lips, the smooth pinkness of them against his pale skin appealing to me as my brain encouraged me to kiss him. He smoothed the back of his fingers along my cheek and I gave in, pressing myself closer to him and kissing him, my hands cupping the back of his head, fingers delving deep into his fiery hair.

"You taste like pineapples" he told me as he broke the kiss and breathed into my mouth "I love pineapples" he kissed me again. I sighed as his lips covered mine and I kissed him greedily, sucking on his lower lip to tease him.

"C'mon" I reached into my clutch and dropped some notes on the bar before sliding off the stool "Let's go" I held my hand out. He stared at me like I'd grown two heads before he finished off his beer and then jumped off the stool, grabbing my hand tightly and leading me out of the bar.

* * *

I walked along the path and he trailed behind me slightly. The night breeze washed over my shoulders and I shivered slightly, smiling when Stephen wrapped his arm around my shoulders. He walked beside me and I lead the way back to my apartment.

I smiled at, Billy the doorman, as we entered my building. I could feel Stephen tense next to me, nervous about being around people. Billy tipped his hat towards me and smiled at Stephen as I lead him towards the gold bank of elevators.

Stepping inside, I held the hand of his arm that was around my shoulders. He stood close to me and I could feel his breath flitting over my neck, which meant he was looking at me. I turned and tilted my head up to him, smiling gently. He touched his fingers to my cheek and turned me so my back was against the wall, stepping closer to me, caging me in with his large arms.

"Is this where ya live?" he asked me as we rode the lifts up towards the top floor.

"Yeah. Do you want to see my apartment?" I asked and he nodded, his pink tongue slipping out of his mouth as he licked his lips. I took this as my opportunity to kiss him, my hands gripping the waist of his dress shirt as he pressed me back into the wall. The doors dinged and he stepped back a little, our lips never breaking. I backed up out of the elevator and the doors closed behind us. Stephen's hands were carding through my hair, his fingers weaved tightly into my curls.

"Which one is yours?" he asked looking around the doors of the round hall.

"It's all mine" I laughed "This is just the hall. Welcome to the Penthouse" I locked eyes with him, my eyes alight with humour. I pulled him towards me, my fingers fumbling with the buttons on his shirt. His arms wrapped tightly around me and he almost picked me up off of the floor as he brought me against him.

"Do you want me Stephen?" I asked as I unbuttoned his shirt, revealing his pale skin inch by inch. He nodded, laboured breaths coming from his lips.

"Do you want me?" he asked. I tugged at his waistcoat and he shucked it off, dropping it over the wooden table in the centre of my hall.

"I want you so badly, it scares me. I don't know why I feel like this. I've been terrified of you for a good portion of my life and now I feel safe in your arms. I feel like you'll never hurt me".

"I won't hurt you" he reaffirmed "You'll never have to be afraid of me again" he kissed me and I all but jumped into his arms, my legs twining around his waist. He held my weight as if it was nothing and started to walk through my apartment. I helped him to find the bedroom and he dropped me down onto the large black sleigh bed, the two of us sinking into the black satin sheets.

He crawled over me, pressing his heavy body down against mine and I welcomed him, wrapping my arms around his neck and spreading my legs as much as my dress would allow, letting him drop between my thighs. I arched up towards him, pressing my breasts against his chest.

He laid kisses down my throat and over my pulse-point. I could feel the vein pulsing in my neck as he sucked on it and I whispered his name. His hands covered my body, his fingers spreading out across the black velour of my dress as he searched for the zip. I dragged my fingers from his hair to remove his shirt, tossing it to the floor without a care of where it was landing. I dug my nails into his pale felsh, raking them down his back and marring his flawless skin. He didn't seem to care as he unzipped my dress and stripped it from my body with ease.

I blushed in the darkness as my body was revealed to him, clad only in a black lacy thong. Stephen cupped my breasts with his hands as he returned to kissing me, flicking his thumbs over my nipples and bringing them to hardened peaks. He dropped his head, taking one in his mouth as I gripped the sheets between my hands, his soft beard rubbing against my skin.

He smiled against my skin when I let out a breathy moan and arched my back further. He kissed down my body, his warm tongue darting out to lick along the line of skin just above my panties. He stripped the last piece of material from my body, and dropped them to the floor with my dress.

"Leave the shoes" he whispered "They're sexy" he smirked in the dark. He kissed my thighs, nibbling on the flesh there and I rolled my head back into the sheets. His tongue swiped along my flesh and I bucked my hips, pressing my body up towards his mouth. His hand splayed across my stomach, holding me down as he continued his assault.

I cried out his name as my body convulsed with ripples of pleasure, every muscle spasming as Stephen reduced me to jelly on the bed. I pulled him in closer to me, smiling up into his eyes as he hovered over me.

Digging the heels of my shoes into his back, I reached for the belt of his jeans, unbuckling it and then unzipping his jeans and pushing them down over his hips. I slid my hands into his back pockets and grasped his arse, pushing the jeans down further. He kicked them off and they hit the floor with a 'clang'. He nuzzled my throat, and I slipped my hand into his boxers, feeling him in my hand. He breathed in deeply through his nose and I smiled into his neck, swiping my thumb along the tip of his length. He kissed my neck and I slipped his boxers off with my other hand.

"Stephen..." I moaned openly, my hand still cupping him, stroking him. I guided him towards me and he pressed himself into me. He grabbed my hands and pinned them to the bed above my head as he slid inside me at a torturously slow pace. I felt my walls expand around his thick length and my eyes closed at the delicious pleasure/pain feeling. He began a slow series of thrusts and I lifted my hips, pressing my body towards him, meeting his thrusts.

His mouth covered mine in a passionate kiss, his tongue seeking it's way inside my mouth almost immediately. He freed my arms and my nails dug into his arms, leaving little half-moons in their wake as he thrust into me. He held me in his arms, his big arms crushing my body to his possessively.

I could feel myself rapidly approaching my second climax of the night, he was hitting all the right spots inside of me as he picked up the pace of his thrusts. The feel of his body on top of mine was only serving to excite me more. I broke the kiss, breathing hot air into his neck as I wrapped one arm around his neck and one around his back, holding onto him.

"Oh god" I tossed my head back and my release hit me hard, wracking my body with spasms of pleasure. A growl rumbled from Stephen's chest as he continued to thrust into my exhausted body before he stiffened in my arms and he released, his warm essence flowing inside me in hot spurts. I stroked his hair back from his head as sweat dripped down his back.

He rolled off of me and we both stared at the ceiling, our chests rising and falling in unity.

"Fuck...me!" I whispered breathlessly and tilted my head to look at him.

"I thought I just did" he drawled with a smirk before I rolled over, crawling on top of him, kissing him and silencing anything else he had to say.

_**END OF STORY**_

_**A/N2:**_ That has taken me virtually the whole day to right. I just wanted to it be perfect but I still don't think it's quite right. If its rubbish, tell me so I can fix it. Thanks! XxX


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